The Daily Stoic - This Is the Hardest Thing

Episode Date: June 9, 2020

"So much is happening. At home. Abroad. On the news. At work. You have the things you need to do. And the emails that keep pouring in. You have the distractions that your own head creates. You have the criticisms and actions of the mob outside. There are a million different options, different opinions, different orders that things can be done."What should you do in moments like these? Find out on today's Daily Stoic Podcast.***If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps with our visibility, and the more people listen to the podcast, the more we can invest into it and make it even better.Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: http://DailyStoic.com/signupFollow @DailyStoic:Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanholidayInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanholiday/Facebook: http://facebook.com/ryanholidayYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/dailystoicSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey, prime members, you can listen to the Daily Stood Podcast early and add free on Amazon Music. Download the app today. Hi, I'm David Brown, the host of Wondery's podcast business wars. And in our new season, Walmart must fight off target. The new discounter that's both savvy and fashion forward. Listen to business wars on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. music or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the Daily Stoic. For each day we read a short passage designed to help you cultivate the strength, insight, wisdom necessary for living the good life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2000 year old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women.

For more, you can visit us at dailystowach.com. This is the hardest thing. So much is happening at home abroad on the news at work. You have things you need to do and the emails that keep pouring in, you have the distractions that your own head creates. You have the criticisms and actions of the mob outside. There are a million different options, different opinions, different orders that things can be done. As the voices, grouse, and the noise mounts, it is in moments like this that we must slam

our open hand down on the table as Daniel De Lewis does in the movie Lincoln. It buys him a second of silence. Now, now, now he cries to his squabbling cabinet members. We are stepped out on the world's stage. The fate of human dignity is in our hands. See what is before you. See the here and now. That's the hardest thing, the only thing that accounts. In his case, he's talking about procuring just the few critical votes to pass the amendment to abolish slavery. Everything else, peace overtures, political ramifications, complaints, it's all irrelevant in the light of that here and now, that world change and opportunity. He's

talking to himself and everyone as Marcus A Arelius did, he's demanding that we concentrate like a Roman. He's saying as Marcus did, that there is what is essential and there is everything else. These are times where it seems all but impossible for people to grasp this. We ping and zoom from issue to issue, scandal to scandal, tweet to tweet.

Meanwhile, the world needs masks. They need clear messaging on safety and best practices of vaccine must be developed. There are people who need saving reforms that must be passed. You have to get your stuff in order. You have to make hard decisions about your family, about your lifestyle, about what rule you're going to play in these solutions. You have to do this now. You, we have to see what is before us,

we have to concentrate like Romans. It is the hardest thing, but it is the only thing that accounts. Everything else is noise. Hey, it's Ryan Holiday. I've been raving about today's sponsor for a while now Magic Spoon cereal, and I thought I loved Magic Spoon. And yesterday I got in the mail, they're new flavor, birthday cake, and it is far and away my favorite. And let me tell you, this box is not gonna be here much longer.

So I love Magic Spoon Serial, can't recommend it enough. They're sponsoring the show because I love it a lot. So check it out, magicspoonserial.com code daily stowing. Hey, prime members, you can listen to the daily stowach early and ad free on Amazon music, download the Amazon music app today, or you can listen early and ad free with Wondery Plus in Apple podcasts. Hey there listeners!

While we take a little break here, I want to tell you about another podcast that I think you'll like. It's called How I Built This, where host Guy Razz talks to founders behind some of the world's biggest and most innovative companies, to learn how they built them from the ground up. Guy has sat down with hundreds of founders behind well-known companies like Headspace, Manduka Yoga Mats, Soul Cycle, and Kodopaxi, as well as entrepreneurs working to solve some of the biggest problems of our time, like developing technology that pulls energy from the ground

to heat in cool homes, or even figuring out how to make drinking water from air and sunlight. Together, they discussed their entire journey from day one, and all the skills they had to learn along the way, like confronting big challenges, and how to lead through uncertainty. So, if you want to get inspired and learn how to think like an entrepreneur, check out how I built this, wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early, and add free on the Amazon or Wonder yet. How I built this, wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and add free on the Amazon or Wondery app.